association comment Spring is on its way


Garden Centre Assocation (GCA) chairman Mike Lind looks back at the industry hit by the Beast from the East, and how we should make the most of the warmer weather.


Despite some recent snow and frosty conditions, spring is now definitely on its way and our customers are starting to get out into their outdoor spaces aſter the winter break. This time last year things weren’t quite as jolly and our members were not as confident that they would see a good spring season. As you’ll remember, the traditional trading


patterns we’d normally expect to see across the industry were beset by extreme weather conditions and we, also, had to contend with a very early Easter weekend. Things started wet going into the New Year


and then went on to be very cold and snowy as we were hit by ‘The Beast from the East’ in February 2018.


The combination of thawing snow and


ongoing rain left the ground water logged and even the hardiest of gardeners could do nothing. Our Barometer of Trade (BoT) report revealed sales of outdoor plants and seeds and bulb sales were down. This continued in March and it was a very worrying time for everyone in the industry. But by the end of 2018, we saw another


interesting weather related trend. The milder weather meant our members saw outdoor plant sales do well during months when normally Christmas and gift sales would dominate. This was a really interesting phenomenon,


which, once again, shows our industry’s reliance on the weather to shape sales. So, with a much milder festive season than usual, our customers were able to spend more time


outdoors and preparing their beds and plots for the coming season. This meant we’ve seen a positive start to the year and are now expecting a buoyant spring season. In celebration of the good start we’ve all had so


far, there are lots of ways we can get our customers enthused about their gardens with excellent displays and activities. One brilliant event coming up is Garden Re-Leaf Day, where our industry supports the charity Greenfingers through a variety of different fundraising activities. The event takes place on Friday, March 22


and it is definitely one we can all get behind. As well as collecting money for a very worthy cause, it can help garden centres increase footfall and sales, boost staff morale and improve productivity, engage with customers in a fun way and it generates publicity and social media reach too. The charity supports children who use


hospices around the UK, along with their families, by creating outdoor spaces for them to enjoy with family, friends and siblings, whether through play and fun or therapeutic rest and relaxation. • If you are looking for ideas to help you host an event at your garden centre, please take a look at www.gardenreleaf.co.uk.


Planning ahead for future opportunities


BHETA housewares sector director Will Jones expresses how the industry should remain positive and look forward in the face of Brexit.


It’s a real danger for both suppliers and retailers that the uncertainties of the changing market and the prolonged confusion that is Brexit cause loss of focus – and worse, loss of enthusiasm. It can be difficult to be 100% positive in these confusing times, but there is plenty of evidence that this industry can look ahead and prosper. One of the most persuasive reasons for retail enthusiasm is the


increasing evidence that the consumer is still up for spending money if the destination is appealing and there is a positive vibe in the atmosphere – whether that’s a national sporting event, a week or so of sunny weather, or a big social, Royal or charity extravaganza. It is well worth planning for such opportunities and making them part of the business case for investment – instead of regarding them as one-off phenomena. Last year, it was remarkable just how much Royal Weddings, World


Cups and prolonged warm weather did for sales. Those retailers - and suppliers - who had been wise enough or lucky enough to anticipate the possibilities of such events and stocked accordingly reaped huge benefits. The trick going forward is not only to predict specific opportunities like these, but also to see the likelihood of more consumer enthusiasms breaking through the gloom. Moreover, based on recent experiences, prediction is more and more


possible. Big opportunities like football or rugby or cricket, when it is genuinely possible for the national pride to manifest itself in purchasing


GCU March/April 2019 www.gardencentreupdate.com | 15


frenzies for barware or BBQs can be on the calendar well ahead of time. As can the big charity opportunities like the current Red Nose Day, or Children in Need. Consumer behaviour falls into positive patterns around such events, just as it does around the old seasonal favourites of Valentine’s, Mother’s Day and Christmas.


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